Pavement construction



Patented Feb. 6, 1940 PATENT OFFICE PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION I Harry N. Sandell, Boston, Mass.

I Application April 22, 1937, Serial No. 138,303-

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a concrete pavement construction and to the method of applying an expansion joint to adjacent spaced apart sections thereof. I

5 In many concrete structures and particularly in concrete pavements it isnecessary to provide expansion joints at regular intervals to allow for seasonal expansion and contraction of the structures. Many expansion joints heretofore utilized have proved unsatisfactory for various reasons In certain instances the expansion of the concrete pavement causes ridges to be formed at the joints, which is objectionable. In other instances the joints are too complicated and ex- 1'5 pensive and not easily insertable in the concrete when the latter is poured, and the cost of the roadway is consequently excessive. In still other instances the joints do not effectively waterproof struction wherein an inexpensive type of reinforced, flexible, waterproof material may be easily and quickly applied to adjacent sections of concrete when the latter is poured in a manher to constitute an effective waterproof expansion joint without interfering with and delaying construction or materially increasing the cost of the roadway. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction wherein the space between the concrete sections'is eifectively Waterproofed to exclude moisture therefrom notwithstanding seasonal temperature changes and con-' 35 sequent movement caused by the expansion and contraction of the various materials utilized which often have different co-efficients of expansion.

Still another object of the invention is to-pro vide a construction wherein the amount of plastic filling material required to seal the upper portion of the space between adjacent concrete slabs is reducedto a minimum, thereby reducing the amount of said filling material that may be squeezed from said space when the concrete expands and preventing the formation of ridges in the roadway at the joints.

The invention consists in a pavement constructionv and method of applying an expansion joint 66 method of assembling an expansion joint for a thereto as set forth in the following specification pavement construction embodying my invention, prior to the pouring of the concrete. 1

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the adjacent end portions of two concrete slabs and intervening expansion joint of a pavement construction embodying the invention,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a strip of flexible waterproof sheet material utilized in the pavement construction of this invention.

4 is a detail transverse sectional view of the retaining member as taken on the line 44 of'Fig.l, v I

Like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In the drawing, t represents a roadbed, or like surface, and 5 represents an inverted 'l" shaped spacing member resting thereon and secured at any location where it is desirable to provide an expansion joint between the adjacent concrete 0 slabs of a pavement or roadway. The spacing 'member 5 is formed of suitable sheet metal, and maybe of any length desired. It has a flat horizontal base portion 5 embodied therein which is bent and folded upon itself to provide opposite- 25 ly extending horizontal flangeportions 7 adapted to rest upon the roadbed 4,.and said spacing member is secured to the roadbed 4 by means of suitable spikes 8 which are driven through openings provided therefor in said flange portions and into said roadbed. The" sheet material of the spacing member 5 is furthermore bent upwardly from the base portion 6- to provide relatively parallel, vertical side walls 9 spaced one from the other a distance 'it is desired shall intervene between the lower portions of the adjacent concrete slabs l!) of the finished pavement.

located in thespacing'member 5 upon the base portion 6 thereof and between the side walls 9 thereof is a filler ll preferably consisting of a compressible fibrous material as, for example, a compressible fibre board of sufficient thickness to substantially fill the space between the side walls i3, and said fibre board may extend above the top edges of said side walls, if it is so desired, and constitute a supporting means for a reinforced, flexible, waterproof material I2,- illustrated in detail in Fig. 3. lhe fibrous filler material I i must be of suflicient stability to firmly support the material i2 and also hold the side walls 9 correctly spaced when the concrete H) is poured, and at the same time be suflic'ien-tly compressible to permit the concrete slabs to expand toward. each other, at which time the side walls 9 of the spacing member 5 will also be forced toward each other. Under certain conditions it may not be necessary for the filler material to project above the top edges of the side walls 5, in which event the flexible material I2 may rest upon and be supported by said side walls.

The flexible material I2 utilized in the pavement construction of this invention may be utilized for various purposes and at numerous locations in masonry structures and has been made the subject matter of a co-pending application, Serial No. 103,257, and of a Patent No. 2,017,106, dated October 15, 1935. Briefly described, this material consists of outer layers of a strong waterproofed textile fabric I3 having a metal reinforcing material, preferably a wire fabric I4, located therebetween and embedded in a layer of plastic asphalt I5 also interposed between the layers of textile fabric I3. The wire fabric I'4 projects outwardly a suitable distance beyond the opposite edges of the textile fabric I3 to provide anchoring portions which are eventually embedded in the concrete as will be hereinafter more fully described. The material I3 in strips of suitable length and width is placed upon the filler II or upon the top edges of the side walls 9, if circumstances permit, and is folded downwardly against said side walls as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. A channel shaped retaining member 16 provided with parallel side walls I! is then applied to the sheet material I2 as illustrated in Fig. l to hold said sheet material firmly against the side walls 9. Spacing members I8 secured to the under surface of the retaining member I6 between the side walls ll thereof rest upon the uppermost portion of the strip of flexible material [2, thereby positioning the top surface of said retaining member a predetermined distance above said material I2 and at a location which has been determined shall be the level of the top surface of the finished pavement. After the retaining member I6 has been positioned upon the material I2 the opposite edge portions of said material which project below the lower edge portions of the side walls I! of the retaining member I6 are bent upwardly to a horizontal position against said lower edge portions as illustrated in Fig. l and it is evident that the lower edges of the side walls I'I determine the location at which the edge portions of the material I2 shall be embedded in the concrete of the finished pavement.

The concrete is now applied to the roadbed 4 to the height of the top surface of the retaining member I6 and the opposite edge portions of the flexible material which project from beneath the lower edges of the side walls I! of said retaining member I 6 are embedded in the concrete slabs I0 and firmly anchored therein by means of the exposed wire fabric I4. The portion of the waterproofed textile fabric 13 which is also embedded in the concrete I0 provides an effective watertight bond with said concrete.

After the concrete has set, the retaining member I6 is removed and the resulting vacantspace is filled with temporarily liquid asphalt, or equivalent material I9, in a well-known manner to complete the sealing of the joint to exclude water therefrom.

In operation, as the concrete slabs I 0 expand toward each other, the filler materials II and I9 will be compressed and the side walls 9 of the spacing member 5 and upstanding portions of the reinforced sheet material I2 will be forced toward each other. A small quantity of the filler material [9 will be forced upwardly from between the concrete slabs II), but the amount will be negligible. Movement transmitted from the concrete slabs I0 to the flexible material [2 resulting from temperature changes, or roadway vibrations, is efiectively dissipated by the wire fabric M which constitutes a reinforcing means for said material I2, and fracturing of the material is thereby prevented. The various elements constituting the joint are all inexpensive and easily installed and the joint will effectively exclude water indefinitely from beneath the adjacent end portions of the concrete slabs l0. Small stones will be prevented from entering the space between the concrete slabs from below by the spacing member 5 and only a very small quantity of filling material I9 is required to fill the space at the upper portion of the joint.

Although I have described the flexible waterproof material I2 as being folded downwardly against the side walls 9 of the spacing member 5 during assembly, and the opposite edge portions of said material as being bent upwardly against the lower edges of the retaining member pressible portion embodied therein, a strip of reinforced waterproof fabric positioned astride said compressible portion of said spacing member and having oppositely projecting metallic anchoring portions embedded in said concrete slabs, and a filler in the space between the concrete slabs above the waterproof material.

2. In a masonry structure the combination with concrete and like slabs of an inverted T shaped spacing member for said slabs interposed therebetween having vertical side walls embodied therein, a compressible fibrous filler permanently interposed between said side walls, a flexible waterproof fabric positioned astride said spacing member and folded downwardly against said side walls and having oppositely projecting anchoring portions embedded in said slabs, and a filler in the space between the concrete slabs above the waterproof material.

3. In a masonry structure the combination with concrete and like slabs of an inverted T shaped spacing member for said slabs interposed therebetween having vertical side walls embodied therein, a compressible fibrous filler interposed between said side walls, a strip of reinforced waterprooffabric positioned astride said spacing 

